If you want to see a house that has been made famous by the people who live in it, you can turn on any one of many home improvement cable channels. It’s far more unusual for a family in a modest, transitional residential neighborhood to gain quasi-celebrity status because of their home makeover, but that’s the reaction that this front porch addition received.
This is such a wonderful example of the best kind of before-and-after story. The house is on a heavily trafficked street in an established neighborhood. The existing ranch home had a traditional gabled stoop that offered shelter from the rain, but not much else. We replaced it with a small front porch, the perfect size for a couple rocking chairs. But, beyond creating a comfortable and attractive place to watch the world go by, this porch transformed the entire look of the home.
The old portico just blended in. The new porch with its hip roof, gable entryway, and craftsman-style square pillars invites visitors and enthusiastically greets all who enter. The paver pathway and landscaping reinforce that effect.
The owner made a masterful change in the color scheme. She effectively flipped the color scheme of the home. It went from dark shutters on a light home to white shutters on forest-green brick. The stained door, trimmed in white, creates a beautiful contrast that further invites and ushers guests into the home.
It may be hard to tell at first glance, but the foundation and skirting on the porch are wood and are painted to match the rest of the home. The floors are stained cypress tongue and groove planks. They require occasional oiling to keep their fabulous rich color, but the wood adds rustic authenticity to the rest of the cottage look of the home. Similarly, you’ll see a stained wood beadboard ceiling on the porch, once you step inside the open porch.
Can you imagine the owner’s excitement and pride as the different parts of this project came together? This looks like a completely different home than the one she originally purchased. It’s not so much that she spends a lot of time sitting on the porch, but she is the owner of “that green house,” the one that the locals rave about. This façade makeover was the talk of the town for quite a while– a few admirers even went so far as to knock on the door to ask who the builder was.
Don’t just assume that your home will always look the way that it does now. You can go beyond just spiffing it up. If you’re looking for a custom porch here in the Nashville market, look no further than The Porch Company. Give us a ring for a free consultation at 615-662-2886. If you are outside of the Nashville market and are looking to purchase top notch porch components such as railings, bed swings, doors, gates or all-season curtains, visit our Porch Store. We ship worldwide!